The Stroke of midnight
by naughtynyx
Summary: Willow does a spell to reunite the Scooby gang for the new year, but it doesn't go quite as planned.Pairings S/B, D/X, W/G.PLEASE R&R!


**Title: The stroke of midnight.**

**Summary: (Post 'Chosen') Willow does a spell to bring together the spread out Scooby gang for the New year, but it doesn't go quite as planned.**

**Pairings: Spike/ Buffy, Xander/Dawn, Willow/Giles.**

**Rated: PG-13**

**Word count: 5025**

**Disclaimer: These characters are the creations and property of Joss Whedon.**

**Feedback: Make reviewing more your New year's resolution.**

**PROLOGUE**

**December 31 2003, Rio de Janeiro.**

Willow felt on the verge of tears as she sat alone in her room looking at the revelers on the television screen waiting for the clock to hit midnight. This was the first New year she was going to be ringing in on her own; without her friends. She hadn't really felt the loss of the people she cared about on the other holidays– she had never been a fan of the whole Thanksgiving thing, and Christmas had never been an issue what with the whole being Jewish thing– but New year's eve had always been the one holiday that they all could enjoy together.

But this year, not only were her friends not here to celebrate with her, they weren't even on the same continent. Ever since the Hellmouth had imploded back in May the scooby gang had all but dismantled, all going there separate ways; Buffy and Dawn were in Rome. Xander had taken off to Africa in search of Slayers, and Giles was in London setting up the new Watcher's council. As for Willow, she and Kennedy had decided to head down to South America for some quality time just the two of them. Which turned out to be a not such good thing as they broke up just a few weeks later.

And now Willow was alone.

She had called her friends, trying to make something happen for them to all get together– but with the way they were spread out– it just wasn't really possible. No one wanted to travel such a long way just to for one night. Logically Willow understood that, but she still thought it sucked. If only there was a way to bring everyone together without all the hassle.

Willow's eyes widened with the sudden burst of inspiration. She jumped to her feet and went over to her bookshelf.. She ran her hand quickly over the bindings, looking for the right title.

"Ah-ha!" She snatched the book up and flew through the pages until she came to the spell she wanted: _'A spell to reunite loved ones.' _

**PART 1**

**Rome, Italy- The Summers apartment**.

6...5...4...3...2...1

Beep! beep! beep!

Buffy popped open the microwave and extracted the steaming bag of popcorn. Gingerly, she peeled it open and dumped the contents into a bowl.

"Buffy come on!" Dawn called from the living room. "You're gonna miss the ball drop!"

"Coming!" Buffy tossed the empty bag into the bin and plucked up the bowl. She crossed the threshold and felt the ground pitch beneath her feet. She spread out her feet in a steadying stance, squeezing her eyes shut against the dizziness.

'_Whoa.'_ She shook her head once everything stilled. _'That was weird.'_ She opened her eyes and her mouth dropped open; instead of standing in the dining area of her and Dawn's spacious apartment, she was in a dingy threadbare efficiency.

"Uhh...what the what?"

"Bloody hell." When she heard the familiar voice and words behind her she dropped the bowl still in her hands and popcorn flew everywhere.

She whipped around, eyes huge and gasped. "Spike!"

**Los Angeles, California– Spike's basement apartment.**

Spike let out a bored breath and tossed the remote control haphazardly aside, settling unenthusiastically on the 'New year's rockin' eve' special. He bent forward to retrieve his can of beer from the coffee table– it was feeling a bit light. He tossed back the remaining contents, then pulled himself to his feet. He crushed the empty can in his hand and chucked it in the bin on his way to the refrigerator. He wrenched open the door and bent over to search for another beer.

'_The ball is just seconds away now from dropping here in time square. You can practically feel the excitement radiating from the crowd'_

'_You're so right Ryan, it is very exciting.'_

Spike scoffed rolling his eyes. "Yeah, real bloody thrillin'." he muttered shoving a jar of olives out of the way. Time was that Spike did enjoy New year's. He would have went out and got pissed, found some pretty young thing to take home to shag– or eat, well likely both. The blood and champagne would have flowed all night. But now that he had a bright and shiny soul the killing didn't appeal. As for the shagging... well the random girls weren't as appealing as they used to be either. Nowadays he only wanted one girl.

Finally he found a can of beer, sighing, he pulled it out and cracked it open. He turned, kicking the fridge door shut, as he was lifting the can to his lips. He took a swig, eyes closing in ecstacy.

"Uhh...what the what?" Said an all too familiar voice.

Spike's eyes popped open and he spit out the mouthful of brew, dropping the can, white foam spilling everywhere. Obviously he didn' t need the alcohol anyway, since he was already so drunk he had started hallucinating. That was the only explanation for how the woman he loved had suddenly materilised in his living room.

He stared at the vision, stunned, his mouth only able to form two words:"Bloody hell."

The mirage turned around and faced him; those beautiful hazel eyes he loved so much going wide and cried, "Spike!"

Buffy couldn't believe it. This couldn't be happening. _'I must be dreaming_.' She reckoned with herself. _'Or maybe I hit my head. Yeah, that's it. I slipped and fell on my way to the living room and passed out.'_ It wasn't uncommon for her to dream of her perished lover– hell she hardly ever dreamed of anything else. Only this time it was different. The location for one; usually they were back in his crypt or the cemetery or down in her old basement. This was a place she had never been before. The other aberration was the look of utter shock on the vampire's face; it was all too real.

"B-buffy?"

"Oh god." She uttered. "I'm not dreaming am I?"

Spike swallowed, audibly and visibly, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Don't know 'bout you, pet, but I think I might be." He stared at her in wonder, those crystalline eyes shining with tears. "How are you here?"

"_Me?_" Buffy spluttered, incredulous. "How about you? How the hell are you here? Spike, y- you you were incinerated!"

Spike cleared his throat. "Yeah, um 'bout that..."

Buffy put up her hand, closing her eyes and shaking her head. "Wait, first of all; where the hell are we?"

"L.A."

"L.A.? Angel's L.A."

Spike scoffed. "Last I checked he didn't own the place, love. Though he sure as hell acts like he does." He added under his breath.

"No, I mean... So Angel, he knows you're here? He knows you're back?"

Spike nodded. "Seein' as I was sent to him in the post an' all, yeah."

Buffy's jaw tensed, she shook her head. She was angry but fortunately for Spike at the moment that anger seemed to be directed at his sire and not him. "That son of a bitch," Buffy muttered,"I told him how I-" her brow scrunched. "Wait, huh, sent to him?"

"Well, not me technically." He clarified. "Remember the little bauble you gave me?"

Buffy's brows rose. "Ya mean the one that turned you into a human– er vampire– firecracker, uh yeah, kind of a hard thing to forget."

"Er, right. Anyway, you got it from Angel turns out he got it from Wolfram and Hart, and someone apparently dug it up and sent it to Peaches in the post like I said, he opened it up and poof, there I was sticking out of his desk."

"Sticking out of his desk?

"I was incorporeal for a bit."

"Ah." Buffy uttered in a enough said manner. "But, your not anymore, right? I mean you're all touchable again, aren't you?"

"Last I checked, yeah."

"And when was the last time you checked?"

Spike brow furrowed. "Eh?"

Buffy slowly made her way closer to the vampire. "Well, if you haven't checked in a while then how do you know you're not all pass through-y again? We better make sure." Without further preamble she threw her arms around him and pressed her lips to his.

Yep, he was solid. _Very_ solid. And hard...getting harder by the second.

Buffy pulled back from him. "Just so you know," she panted, "we are not done with the Q&A portion of this conversation yet. We're just postponing it for a bit."

Spike nodded, "Got it. So's that mean we can get back to the kissin' bit then?"

"God, yes!"

So they got back to the kissing...and then some.

_5...4...3...2...1_

_Happy New Year!_

**PART 2**

**Marakesh, Morocco, Africa.– A bar**.

Xander felt an odd sense of homesickness as he sat in a dark corner in this bar watching all the people celebrating the end of the year. It wasn't that this place was similar in any fashion, but something about it had him thinking of the Bronze. And Xander couldn't think of the place he spent most of teen years as well as early twenties in without thinking of the people he spent it in with.

Buffy and Willow, Anya... and later on Dawn.

From the corner of his eye, Xander caught a flash of chestnut hair that made him think of the youngest Summers. He whipped his head to get a better look. He watched the tall girl on the dance floor swinging her hips in a familiar way and an old memory swam up in his mind

"_Daddy like."_

Dawn.

"Hey there." Said a voice he didn't know, breaking him from his thoughts. He looked up and saw a pretty brunette standing at his table.

"Who me?" The old insecure Xander rearing his head, not believing an attractive girl would want to speak to him.

The woman smiled. "Yeah, I was just wondering if this seat was taken?"

"Oh." Xander nodded '_Ah, so that's is what she wants. Now it makes sense'_. "Uh, no. Go ahead, take away."

"No. I was wondering if I could join you."

"Oh." _'Didn't expect that'._ Xander shook his shock and smiled. "Well, sure. Of course. Join away."

The girl giggled and sat down. "I'm Tanya."

"Xander."

"So, you're American?"

"Yup."

"You're the first one I've met since I got here." the girl remarked. "What brings you to Africa?"

"Um," Xander drawled, this was a question he had faced many times since coming to the 'dark continent' a lot of the time things got lost in translation and when people found out he was looking for girls they assumed he was in human trafficking or other equally nefarious things. So he started giving a more succinct response; "business. You?"

"I just finished my first semester of college. I took my last final and got on a plane."

'_First year of college',_ Xander thought,_ 'that means she's about eighteen. Like Dawn.' _He realised suddenly, he had been in Africa since August, so he missed her birthday. Just like he missed her.

"Something wrong?"

Xander realised that he must have been frowning. "Oh, um nothing. I was just thinking about someone."

"Someone special?"

"No," Xander chuckled, "not special. Someone extraordinary."

"Oh." Tanya remarked with a resigned, knowing smile, "So does this extraordinary someone have a name?"

Xander's lips twitched up. "Yeah, her name is– "

Xander felt the room spinning and everything went out of focus for a second. He closed his eyes and shook his head. When he opened them he was overwhelmed with joy at the sight that greeted him.

"Dawn! How'd you get here?"

**Rome, Italy - The Summer's apartment.**

Dieci!...Nove!...Otto!...

"Buffy!" Dawn shouted again. "Come on! The count down's started!"

Sette!...

"Buffy?" An edge of worry crept into her voice. "Buffy?"

Sei!...

Not getting a response from her sister Dawn bolted up from the couch and rushed into the kitchen. Buffy wasn't there.

"Buffy!"

Where the hell was she? The apartment only had one exit. Buffy would have had to pass right by the couch to get out.

'_Unless she climbed out the window._'

Really freaked out now, Dawn tore down the hallway to the bedroom.

"Buffy where are you?" Not finding her in the bedroom she went back in the living room. She let out a squeal when the man popped out of nowhere right in front of her eyes.

"Her name is...Dawn!" Xander's eyes widened in (pleasant) surprise. "How'd you get here?"

Dawn just stared at him, nonplused.

Xander took in his surroundings. Noticing he was in the Summer's Rome apartment, he amended, "Okay, so maybe the more apt question is; how did _I _get _here_?"

A beat passed while they about this.

Finally Xander shrugged. "I got nothin'. You?"

Dawn shook her head dumbly.

"B-but Buffy," she finally managed to say, "she disappeared."

"Disappeared? As in?"

"Kinda how you appeared. Just all of a sudden, she was here– getting popcorn– and then..." She flourished her hands in a "poof!" gesture.

"Hmm..." Xander pondered. "You know normally I would have said that something Hellmouthy was going on, but...since there's no Hellmouth..."

"I think we should call Giles."

"Right, G-man, sounds like a plan. He's always one with the knowledge." Xander concurred. "But can I just do something else first real quick?"

Dawn's brow pinched, she couldn't fathom what could be more important than getting to the bottom of whatever was going on. "What?"

And then Xander's arms were around her. "I've missed you, Dawnie." He murmured.

Suddenly her missing sister situation didn't seem so dire. Dawn wrapped her arms around Xander and said, "I've missed you too."

The pair pulled back from each other, just enough to see the others face. They smiled looking into each others eyes. Then they both leaned in and their lips met.

Tre!...Due!...Uno!

Felice Anno Nuovo!

**PART 3**

**Bathe, England- Rupert Giles' flat**

Rupert Giles was just setting back to enjoy a nice tumbler of single malt scotch and a good book when his phone rang.

Sighing resignedly, he put down his glass and book and reached for the receiver.

"Yes?"

"Giles?"

Any trace of ire immediately evaporated at the sound of the familiar voice and a small smile formed on his lips. "Oh, Dawn, hello. How lovely to hear from you. How are things going?"

"Umm," the girl stammered on the other end, "great...except for...well..."

Giles sat up straighter, on high alert now. "What is it Dawn?" He prodded in an ominous tone.

"Well you see, somehow– and we have no idea how– Xander just sort of teleported here, into my apartment."

Giles' brow pinched. "Xander...?"

"Hey G-man!" The young man's voice sounded from the extension.

"Yes, hello." Giles immediately replied out of politeness. "You say you just teleported into the girl's apartment, from where exactly?"

"Some bar in Marakesh. I don't remember the name; it wasn't English."

"Hmm." Giles mused, taking off his glasses and chewing on the stem.

"And, that's not all." Dawn's voice broke in after a moment.

"Oh?"

"Buffy's kind of missing."

"What!"

"We're assuming that whatever happened to Xander happened to Buffy, only we don't know where she went poof to."

"Dear god." Giles muttered, blood draining from his face. He shook himself and cleared his throat. "I'm going to get the coven on this immediately– Willow, as well– and I'll start my own research. Keep the line open; I'll phone you as soon as I know anything. And if you hear from Buffy..."

"We'll call you right away." Xander assured.

"Yes, very well."

"Bye, Giles."

"Goodbye." Giles put the phone back in its cradle. He took a moment, rubbing his hands wearily over his face, then sighed, before taking up the receiver again to phone Willow.

Willow sat excitedly on her sofa looking up at the clock. It wouldn't be long down; the spell would take effect at midnight. She couldn't wait to see her friends. She had worried momentarily about them getting upset with her for using magicks to bring them together, but she reasoned that they would all be so happy to all be joined that they would get over it. Or she hoped so at least.

She gnawed on her lower lip, anxiously watching the little hand creep its way up to the twelve. When it got to the 10 she started muttering the countdown under her breath.

"10...9...8...–

The phone rang.

"Oh, rats."

She sighed and reached over to get her mobile off of the coffee table. She checked the readout: Giles calling. She gasped at the coincidence and answered. "Giles."

"Willow," He returned, urgency thick in his voice, "listen we have a problem; Buffy's missing. Dawn said she just vanished"

Willow sat up rod strait. "What? When?" _'Oh god, I screwed up. I did the spell wrong and made Buffy go poof!'_

"Dawn phoned to tell me. Also Xander somehow apparently just appeared in the Summers living room around the same time_. _I need your help can you do a locat–"

Giles paused, a sudden wave of dizziness taking him. He leaned over, putting his weight against his chair to steady himself. It worked for a moment then the chair disappeared from under his grasp and he fell flat on the floor.

"Giles!" Willow squealed worriedly. "Oh my god are you okay?"

"Yes, yes I'm fine just a little..." His words– that he had been saying into the speaker of the phone– trailed off as he realised Willow's voice hadn't come from the other looked up to see her crouched over him; her eyes wide and filled with concern. He was momentarily struck dumb by the overwhelming effect seeing the girl suddenly was having on him. But he quickly recovered, shaking his head and clearing his throat he shakily– with Willow's aid– got to his feet.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Willow fretted. "Here set down," she led him over to the sofa, "I'll get you some water."

Giles was going to protest, but found that his mouth was indeed quite dry. When she brought him the glass he gulped it down. "Thank you." he said automatically. Then he took notice of the spell book laid out, as well as candle, herbs and other various magickal ingredients and suddenly the pieces started falling into place. "So, would I be correct in assuming you've been doing some casting this evening, hmm?"

Willow's head dipped, down a sheepish little smile on her lips."Nothing serious. Just a simple spell to bring together loved ones; I wanted us all to be able to spend New year's with each other. I don't know how it could have went wrong!"

"Might I have a look?" Giles held out his hand. Willow picked up the book and handed it to him. "Ah, yes, I see. I believe I've found the problem." He proclaimed after a moment of glancing at it.

"What?"

"Well, as advanced as you might have become when it comes to the magicks, it appears that your Latin is still in need of some improvement."

Willow's brow knitted. "Huh?"

"This isn't a spell to reunite loved ones, Willow; it's a spell to reunite _lovers_."

Willow licked her lips, thinking. "No, but..." she took the book back from Giles and looked at it. She scrutinised the text and realised where she had made the mistake. She shrank back sheepishly. "Oh. Oops." A beat ticked by , then Willow's face scrunched up again. "Okay, so I did a spell to reunite lovers and that somehow sent Xander to Rome– to Dawn." She thought that over for a beat. It made sense in a way; Xander and Dawn have always had a connection. "Okay, so I can get that. And Buffy ended up... well..."

"Los Angeles, I would imagine." Giles purposed. "That is where Angel is after all. But I would still markedly better once you do a locator spell."

"Right, of course." Willow promised. "I'll do that in minute. But back to the other spell for a minute; Xander ended up with Dawn, Buffy– presumably– with Angel, and then you ended up here...with me?" Her voice had risen at the end of her statement turning it into a question.

Giles– now feeling a tad uncomfortable– took off his glasses and began to clean them. He never would have imagined that the feelings he had harboured for the girl to come out in this way, or at all for that matter.

"Yes, well, erm," he cleared his throat, "it's no secret that I have always been quite fond of you all and you in particular, I've always had, um, a soft spot for. So I suppose..." He didn't even bother to finish his lame excuse.

Willow had made her way– while Giles was stammering– to come and sit close to him. She hadn't really heard any he had been yammering. Her head and heart had been too busy singing; Giles loves me! To pay any mind. She use to have _those kind _of feelings for Giles. But as time passed– and her gender preference changed_– _she figured her old crush had long since gone elation she was feeling right now at the prospect that he might in turn have similar feelings for her, contradicted that assumption_._

Giles was staring down at his hands feeling like a right pratat the moment, then one of Willow's small, soft hands reached out and covered his larger ones, her other hand touched the side of his face, turning it to hers. She was smiling at him. Giles had always felt helpless in the face of that smile; he melted.

Willow looked into Giles' light green eyes, she caressed his cheek in such an intimate way she never would have thought she had the temerity to do_. _And then, being bolder still, she did something else she always wanted to but never believed would be allowed_. _She leaned in and kissed him.

She pulled back, her eyes wide and questioning. Giles answered her by wrapping his arms around her and pulling her back to him for another kiss.

"Treiz!... dois!...um!"

Feliz ano novo!

**EPILOGUE**

**January 1, 2004– Los Angeles, California- Spike's apartment.**

Buffy moaned contentedly as her cheek rubbed against the cool, smooth chest of the man she hands were combing lovingly through her silky locks.

"Happy New Year, pet." He murmured.

"Mmm, best New Year, ever." She lifted her head up to kiss him. Spike wrapped his arms around Buffy's waist and rolled her over so that he was laying on top on her. Hands roaming over the body he had missed so much.

Buffy was enjoying the sensation of his cool hands on her hot skin, she turned her head as his lips trailed down her neck and caught sight of the clock on the nightstand. "Oh my god!" She exclaimed.

"Yeah, I know." Spike mumbled against her neck.

"No, not you."

Spike pulled back and looked at her, brow raised.

"I mean, yeah, what you were doing "Oh my god!" sure, but I just saw the time; I've been here for hours."

Spike glanced at the clock, then looked back to Buffy, a slow grin forming on his lips. "So, you have. Didn't notice really notice; time flies when you're havin'..." He bent down and started kissing her again.

Buffy moaned, losing herself for a moment. "No, wait Spike stop."

Spike immediately stopped his movements and pulled back. Never again would he ignore Buffy's order to stop.

Buffy could see the look in Spike's eyes and knew that what she said had brought back a terrible memory for him. She touched his cheek gently. "Not like that, I didn't mean it like that." she assured. "It's not that I don't want you to touch me, it's just that I need you to stop for a minute, okay?"

"Okay." Spike said, rolling over to lay beside Buffy waiting for an explanation.

"It just occurred to me how much time has passed since I, well, popped up here, and out of my apartment. Dawnie, has no idea where I am, she must be going crazy."

"Oh, right." Spike said, relieved. "You should give the 'Bit a call then, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Phone's in the kitchen."

" 'Kay." Buffy leaned over and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "I'll be right back." She wrapped the sheet around herself– much to Spike's disappointment– and got out of bed.

'_Dawn is gonna flip when she fines out Spike's alive.'_ Buffy thought, elated as she waited for her sister to pick up.

"Hello?" a very masculine voice answered. Buffy was struck silent for a moment her forehead crinkling.

"Xander?"

**Rome, Italy– the Summers apartment.**

Xander moaned as he came awake, feeling a moment of disorientation as he tried to remember where he was. Then he looked down at the girl curled up sleeping at his side and smiled. He was in Rome with Dawn. The two had fallen asleep on the couch last night talking. He placed a kiss on the top of her head that elicited a soft moan from her.

The phone thrilled and Xander recalled that it was that sound that had brought him from sleep. Groggily he reached over to pick it up.

"Hello?"

A beat of silence answered him and then a surprised voice said; "Xander?"

"Buff!" he returned.

This roused Dawn from her slumber and she sat up. "Buffy?"

Xander nodded. Dawn took the phone.

"Buffy? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Buffy drawled, confused. "What's Xander doing there?"

Dawn explained about the spell Willow had done; Giles called last night and relayed it to them and also informed them that Willow had done a locator spell that confirmed Buffy was in Los Angeles.

"So you did end up in L.A., right? With Angel?"

"Well," Buffy ventured, "yes, I am in L.A., but I'm not with Angel."

Dawn's brow furrowed. "No?"

"No. I'm with Spike."

Dawn was stunned for a moment, then a smile stretched out her lips and she squealed. "Spike! Spike's alive?"

"Yes, very well." Giles told Buffy– she had phoned him immediately after hanging up with Dawn– "that's wonderful. Thank you so much for getting in touch."

"No, problem." She said. "Happy New Year, Giles. Oh and remind Willow she has to call me back later so we can have the much needed girl talk."

A slight smile touched the man's lips. "Indeed, I will pass it along."

" 'Kay and give her my love."

"Will do. And ah, Buffy..." Giles paused, he knew he needed to do this especially since Buffy had been showing such support about the new development between he and Willow. "Send my regards to Spike, will you?"

"Wow," Buffy remarked, impressment evident in her voice, "I bet that was painful for ya, huh?"

"Yes, ha ha. Just tell him will you?"

"I will. And, thanks Giles."

"You are Welcome Buffy. Goodbye."

Just as he put down the reciever, Willow bounded back into the room– fresh from the shower and swathed in a fluffy cotton robe. Giles sat back and admired the sight of her, immensely happy that at last he was allowed to do so openly.

"Buffy, hung up already?" She asked, a bit dejectedly.

"Yes, she was quite eager to get back to Spike."

Willow smiled in understanding. "Yeah, I can get that."

"But, she told me to let you know she will call back later for 'much needed girl talk'."

"Ooh, good. I need lots of details. It's not everyday that someone's love comes back from the dead– though in Buffy's case I'd say it happens at a level that's above average."

Giles smiled. "Yes, quite." Willow went to sit at her vanity and brush her hair.

"Um, Willow," Giles ventured.

"Hmm?"

"Now, when you say you are eager to hear all the detail about Spike and Buffy's reunion... well are you, do you think, going to be returning in kind? I mean with details about us?"

"Well," Willow drawled, turning around to face him, "I would be violating the sanctity of the girl talk if I told you about what we'd be discussing, but I don't think you have to worry; I don't imagine Buffy will want too many details about you and me. What with you being all with the father figureness."

Giles winced slightly at the reminder of the age difference– not that he could really forget, but...

"I mean for Buffy you are." Willow hastened. "A father figure, that is. But not for me, not at all. I have never thought of you in any way as father figure-y."

Giles smirked. "That's very good to know." He said, and it was. Otherwise it would have added a new level of creepiness to the way they had spent the last few hours; much kissing and heavy petting.

"Now, Willow, I would like to talk to you a bit more seriously for a moment, about your spell."

Willow sighed resignedly; she'd been expecting this. "Okay."

"Now even though things turned out rather for the best in this case; it was still irresponsible for you to use magick on all of us the way you did. Things could have had a much more dire consequence."

"I know." Willow said quietly, looking down at her hairbrush. She bit her lip and looked back up to Giles. "I won't do anything like that again, I promise."

"Good, I'm glad to hear it."

"Still...I understand if you think I need to be punished."

Giles brow scrunched. "Punished?"

"Yeah, you know," Willow went on, getting up from her stool and gliding toward the bed, "like maybe I need to be...I don't know... spanked?"

Giles saw the mischievous glint in her emerald eyes and his own glossed over with lust as he got her meaning. "Oh, I see." He said, his voice thick and low, "you think that's what you need, that it will teach you a lesson?"

Willow lifted her shoulder coyly. "It might."

"Well, then," He opened up in arms to expose his empty lap, "come here, Willow, it's time for your spanking."

**THE END.**

**HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!**

**Please let me know what you thought!**


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